"I Could Have Danced All Night"

Audrey Hepburn Singing
"I Could Have Danced All Night"
from My Fair Lady film (1964)

By Peter Y. Chou
WisdomPortal.com

My Fair Lady
Film Poster (1964)

Audrey Hepburn sings
"I Could Have Danced All Night"

Audrey Hepburn dancing with Rex Harrison
in My Fair Lady (1964)

Preface: For Song #21, I've selected "I Could Have Danced All Night" sang by Audrey Hepburn (dubbed by Marni Nixon) from My Fair Lady (1964), my most favorite musical movie. The music was written by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, published in 1956. The song is sung by the musical's heroine, Eliza Doolittle, expressing her exhilaration and excitement after an impromptu dance with her tutor, Professor Henry Higgins— in the small hours of the morning. In a counterpoint during the second of 3 rounds, two maids and the housekeeper, Mrs. Pearce, urge Eliza to go to bed, but she ignores them. It was first performed by Julie Andrews in the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady. In 1964 film adaptation of the musical, the song was sung by Marni Nixon, dubbing Audrey Hepburn's voice, who played Eliza Dolittle. In 2004, Marni Nixon's version finished at #17 in "AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs" survey of top tunes in American cinema.

Bed, bed I couldn't go to bed
My head's too light to try to set it down
Sleep, sleep I couldn't sleep tonight
Not for all the jewels in the crown

I could have danced all night, I could have danced all night
And still have begged for more
I could have spread my wings and done a thousand things
I've never done before

I'll never know what made it so exciting
Why all at once my heart took flight
I only know when he began to dance with me
I could have danced, danced, danced all night

It's after three now
Don't you agree now?
She ought to be in bed

I could have danced all night, I could have danced all night
And still have begged for more
I could have spread my wings and done a thousand things
I've never done before

I'll never know what made it so exciting
Why all at once my heart took flight
I only know when he began to dance with me
I could have danced, danced, danced all night.